Obsessed, Ed. 1 “All Spiced Up”

From time to time I will feature a product, store, another blog, etc. that I am passionate about. If you have something that you are passionate about/obsessed with, I would love to hear about it. Please share it with me and you might see it featured in a future edition of “Obsessed”.

Disclaimer: To those people who might have read the above title and assumed that this post was going to address my need for organization, or my cleaning rituals, it will not. Sorry.

As someone who is passionate about health, food and cooking, I believe it starts with the basics. By using the best possible ingredients in a dish, from the resulting dish will have the best possible flavors. And, by allowing the natural flavors to really come out, you minimize the need to add “extras” like lots of sodium and sugar.

I “discovered” this Denver-based shop a few years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since.

That’s right, I have a spice habit– and with good reason!

Savory spice shop’s products have taken my cooking to a whole new level. The difference goes back to freshness and attention to detail. The shop grinds its spices in small batches each week to ensure the freshest, boldest flavors. In comparison, the spices you buy in the supermarket might have been ground and bottled a year before they are purchased leaving the flavors weak and muted. They also offer a wider variety of spices like five different types of cinnamon, countless types of chiles and hard to find items like asafoetida. And, if you worry about price, don’t. I’ve found that shopping for spices at Savory Spice isn’t necessarily expensive. Their prices are similar to the often inferior spices you would find at your local grocery store.

Savory Spice Shop doesn’t stop with just pure spices, but also create their own custom “spice blends” like curry powders and spice rubs. I not only find these blends tasty (I always have a supply of the madras curry powder in my pantry), but I also appreciate the work and care that goes into creating these blends. The spice shop owners, Mike and Janet Johnston, spend time researching each blend, often traveling to the country where it originated, in order to create a flavor profile that is authentic and as close to the original as possible.

These reasons alone would make me a loyal customer, but I also enjoy the experience of shopping at my neighborhood Savory Spice. The decor is reminiscent to that of a country store in the early 1900’s. In fact, much of the experience makes me feel like I am back in a small midwestern town.

The workers could not be more helpful and they all seem to have extensive knowledge of their products. They are also friendly and love to talk cooking– what isn’t there to like about shopping here!?!

But, don’t fret if I have spurred your curiosity about this shop only for you to realize that there isn’t one close by: Savory Spice Shop carries their full product line on their website at www.savoryspiceshop.com. And, while you are browsing their inventory, be sure to check out recipe ideas featuring their in-house spice blends (the Tikka Masala with veggies in place of the chicken is great). If you want even more recipe ideas, you can also check out the Johnston’s Food Network TV show, Spice and Easy.